Northwoods Sir Gordon wins Red Hills Invitational

Winners of the Red Hills Invitational (from left to right) are Trey Mills, Devon Harden and Jerry, who poses with first-place dog Northwoods Sir Gordon. In the back, Jason Loper, dog trainer at Osceola Plantation and host of the trial, stands with judges Ricky Furney and Gary Futch.

It’s probably safe to say that the highest density of bird dog trainers and handlers in the world are within 75 miles of Thomasville, Ga. Even more exclusive is the Red Hills region between Thomasville and Tallahassee, Fla., where more than 50 private wild quail plantations are located. Each plantation employs at least one professional dog trainer.

All take their bird dogs seriously. Down here, it’s not a hobby. It’s how they make a living.

The quail hunting season is long and usually frenetic for trainers. But one week after the season closes, they gather to compete at the Red Hills Invitational field trial. This is an old-fashioned, bird dog throw-down that’s not sanctioned by any governing body. It’s exclusive, too, in that each trainer can enter just one dog. From among their strings of dogs—numbering from 12 to 40 or more— they choose their best dog to compete. A generous purse is awarded to the winners, but most important is bragging rights.

Thirty-two trainers competed in the trial this year. The dogs are run from horseback and are required to be steady to wing and shot. Preference is for a dog to handle without a lot of scouting assistance, typically in the 100- to 200-yard range.

Osceola Plantation, a large plantation located southeast of Thomasville, hosts the trial every year. Their beautiful land, rich with wild bobwhites, is an ideal venue. There were many outstanding dogs competing in the stake, including the winners of the recent Plantation Owners trial, as well as past winners.

Spring bobwhite quail can be a challenge for a bird dog. These are not the same birds that sat for point in early December. They have been hunted hard all winter, not only by people on horseback but also by predators. The vegetation in spring is probably at its thinnest, making birds more nervous. Quail that have survived are canny and know every inch of their territory.

I rank the quality of the stake on the caliber of judges—and this one was stellar with Ricky Furney and Gary Futch. Ricky is a seasoned professional handler on the all age circuit. He has numerous championships to his credit including the National Championship. Ricky handled Hall-of-Fame CH Law’s High Noon for co-owner Gary. Gary, president of the Georgia Field Trial Association, is an experienced dog man who has judged many major stakes.

Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean of Minnetrista, Minn.

From our kennel, I chose to run Northwoods Sir Gordon (RU-CH Erin’s Prometheus x Northwoods Carly Simon, 2017), owned by Ben McKean of Minnetrista, Minn. Gordy ran late on the first day under bluebird conditions with temperatures in the upper 50s. He pointed three coveys—all perfectly located—in his 30 minutes. For a little frosting on his performance, Gordy had a find just seconds after time was called to end the brace. His hunting effort was strong and all his finds were dead ahead on course.

With that fine showing, Gordy won first place.

Devon Harden, dog trainer at Norias Plantation, placed second. His pointer John had three coveys in the last brace of the first day. Third place went to Trey Mills from Mayhaw Plantation with his pointer Queen. She pointed two coveys during the second morning of the trial.

At 27 months of age, Gordy is an exceptional young dog. His instincts around game are among the best I’ve seen. As a puppy last winter, he found hundreds of birds and would hold point until I flushed. He is already one of the finest bird-finders we’ve ever bred.

Congratulations to Ben and Gordy!